Movers & Shakers

CLIENTS:

Bristol-Myers Squibb has appointed Maude Simard to general manager, Consumer Products Group – Canada. She was previously VP, Marketing. Simard joined BMS subsidiary Clairol Canada in 1976 and rose through the ranks to become VP, retail marketing. Simard’s new job includes overall management, as well as strategic planning and growth performance.

Travelodge Canada has brought Dorothy Dowling on board as VP marketing. She comes to the Calgary-based hotel company from Travelodge Hotels in the U.S., where she was VP marketing and was instrumental in developing the company’s Travelodge Miles loyalty program. Gopal Rao joins the company as director, national sales and marketing from the hotelier’s real estate trust, Royal Host, where he was director, national sales.

Intrawest Corporation, Vancouver, which owns prestige ski resorts across North America, has hired Elizabeth Akey as its new regional director of sales and marketing.

Air Canada has appointed Calin Rovinescu its executive VP, corporate development and strategy, effective April 1. His responsibilities include alliances, corporate and government affairs, loyalty programs, information technology and e-commerce. As managing partner of Montreal-based law firm Stikeman Elliott, Rovinescu helped Air Canada stave off a takeover attempt by Onex Corporation, and engineer the airline’s purchase of Canadian Airlines. Air Canada has also promoted Alice Keung to VP, information technology and chief information officer from director, information technology – commercial business units, a position she’s held since last May. Keung previously worked as financial controller for the airline’s marketing and sales department.

AGENCIES:

Neil Harris has been named creative director and art director at the Richmond Hill, Ont. offices of promotional marketing agency Vectra Marketing Group. Harris will be joined by Annabel Magennis, who was hired as senior account manager. She spent the last five years at the CNE as promotions manager.

Scott Simmons has joined Sales & Merchandising Group, a division of the Mosaic Group, as VP client service. Previously, Simmons was director of marketing and communications for the Oakville,Ont.-based Royal Canadian Golf Association.

MEDIA:

Mark Updegrove has been appointed president of Time Canada with responsibility for all publishing operations, including advertising, circulation and promotion. Updegrove, a Philadelphia native, was most recently division manager of Time’s Los Angeles office. He takes over from Don Brown, who is retiring.

Toronto-based Key Media has named Renata Kunz the new consumer marketing manager for Toronto Life, Fashion and Canadian Art magazines. She joins the company from Saturday Night, where she held the same position.

The Globe and Mail has appointed Shannon McPeak vice-president, corporate sales to spearhead integrated advertising sales across all the Globe’s media properties – newspaper, magazine, television and online. McPeak will also retain her responsibilities as VP, national advertising sales.

Stephen Petherbridge, the former head of the Globe’s magazine operations, has been named VP, TV/New Ventures. He’ll be responsible for ROBTv and develop new broadcast initiatives.

Helen Cochran has been given the role of VP, new business development for Globe Information Services, which includes the globeandmail.com Web site. Cochran has been working on new business initiatives for the Globe for the past year, including the launch of print and online product GlobeMegawheels.

ExtendMedia, a producer of interactive television (iTV) programming, has appointed Steve Billinger as president and COO. He was formerly director of interactive programming at U.K.-based News Corporation’s BskyB’s TV. Billinger will be joined by Ian Valentine, who comes on board as executive VP, business development. Their responsibilities include strengthening the company’s alliances with entertainment industry leaders. ExtendMedia is headquartered in Toronto, with offices in New York and Los Angeles.

Cannes Lions 2025: Canadians nab more medals on final festival day

Strategy is on the ground in Cannes, bringing you the latest news, wins and conference highlights all week long. Catch all the coverage here.

Friday’s batch of Silver and Bronze winners included the oldest category at the Cannes festival, Film, as well as Sustainable Development Goals, Dan Wieden Titanium, Glass: The Lion for Change and Grand Prix for Good. Canadians were recognized with four Lions today: two Silver and a Bronze in Film, as well as a Bronze in Sustainable Development Goals.

FCB Toronto was given yet another nod for its work, “The Count,” for SickKids, bringing the medal count for that campaign to four, including a Gold for Health & Wellness. Another Canadian agency recognized on the final day of the festival was Klick Health Toronto, which earned a Silver in Film for its work “Love Captured” for Human Trafficking Awareness and a Bronze for “18 Months” for Second Nurture. And over in Sustainable Development Goals, the Bronze went to Publicis Canada and its “Wildfire Watchtowers” work for Rogers.

Another massive win for Canada included not one, but two Young Lions (pictured above) taking home medals in the annual competition. In Design, the Gold Young Lion was awarded to Rethink’s senior motion designer Jesse Shaw and ACD Zoë Boudreau. The second, a Bronze in Media, went to Cossette Media’s business intelligence analyst Samuel David-Durocher and product development supervisor Tristan Bonnot-Parent.

Film (2 Silver, 1 Bronze)

1 SILVER: “The  Count” by FCB Toronto for SickKids Foundation

“The Count,” a striking campaign from FCB Toronto for SickKids Foundation, has earned 1 Gold, 2 Bronze and now 1 Silver for Film at Cannes. If you watch it, it’s easy to see why. The collaboration between brand and agency honoured the hospital’s “VS” platform, while steering it in a new direction from its initial development by previous AOR Cossette. The creative celebrates childhood cancer patients who have to fight for every birthday, while honouring the hospital’s own milestone – 150 years and counting.

 

1 Silver: “Love Captured” by Klick Health Toronto for The Exodus Road

Klick Health Toronto added to its medal tally with a Silver in Film for it’s work “Love Captured” for The Exodus Road. The creative features a romantic getaway that isn’t what it seems in an experiential short film for the global anti-trafficking organization. The experience takes viewers through a tragic and twisting experience of exploitation.

 

1 BRONZE: “18 Months” by Klick Health Toronto for Second Nurture

Klick Health Toronto also won a Bronze in the Film category for its work, “18 Months,” done for the charity organization Second Nurture. The animated film is based on a real-life story in which a same-sex couple adopts a baby found in a subway station, and the 18-month journey into a story of hope.

Sustainable Development Goals (1 Bronze)

1 BRONZE: “Wildfire Watchtowers” by Publicis Canada for Rogers

Publicis Canada landed on the winners board for its work, “Wildfire Watchtowers,” for Rogers. The Canadian-developed wildfire-detection tech – which has been billed as “a fire alarm in the forest” – uses AI-powered sensors installed on 5G towers to monitor vast remote areas in real time. By scanning, identifying and reporting early signs of wildfires (up to 16 minutes faster than other systems), the technology helped prevent 54 fires in 2024 alone.

Catch the Gold winners later today when they’re revealed at the gala in Cannes.